Somehow That Was Worse
by lillykleaf
Summary: Adrien hadn't pictured any of this happening, not in a million years.
1. Chapter 1

**This isn't how I was planning to make my comeback to the fandom (part three of Miraculous Comicon is coming, I promise) but I felt this needed to be shared.**

 **Warning: This has more cussing than I usually use and is a little dark. See notes at the end to know more.**

* * *

Adrien paced the floor of the hallway. What could his father possibly want to talk to Marinette about in private? She had looked so scared at the prospect of being left alone with him. At first he'd just thought it was her usual starstruck attitude getting the best of her, but the longer he waited out here, the more worried he became. Was he trying to get her to break up with him? He knew his father was overprotective and strict. It wasn't outside of the realm of impossibility.

Though muffled through the door and several yards away, Adrien still heard Marinette's shout of "No!" It sounded panicked and Adrien decided enough was enough, whatever was going on in there, he had a right to know.

He marched over to the door, ready to tell his father that whatever he had to say to his girlfriend, he could say to his son as well. Just feet from the door he heard a thump and a shriek of panic that had him throwing himself at the door, fearing an Akuma attack.

What he found was worse, but his brain struggled to comprehend it.

"What the hell!"

Because what else did you say when you find your father pinning your girlfriend to your bed? Said girlfriend looked at him wide-eyed, with tears already starting to form.

Gabriel Agreste jumped off the bed and away from the crying teen, who immediately curled up in a ball and clutched at the sides of her head, but kept his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Like some toddler trying to hide stolen candy from his mother. "Son, I can explain, if you'd just give me a moment-"

"Get out."

Gabriel blinked, not quite seeming capable of comprehending that his son was talking back to him. "Did you just tell me to-"

"Get out." Adrien repeated, looking absolutely livid. If looks could kill, his father would be dead right now.

"I am your father and if you would just listen, you would understand that-"

"Leave. Now."

It finally seemed to click with Gabriel that his son wasn't exactly in a listening mood. "Very well, we'll discuss this once you've calmed down." With that he left, with as much dignity as a man in his position could muster.

The door shut with a sharp snap of the lock going into place and Adrien rushed forward to scoop Marinette up off the bed and into his arms. She sobbed into his chest while her hands still clutched at her earlobes.

"What did he do to you?" Adrien whispered in horror as he continued to rub soothing circles on her back while he carried her away from the bed to cradle her in his lap on the couch.

Her words were more nonsensical than he'd heard in a long time and he barely understood most of it through her tears. He got the gist of it though "bed" attack" "scared" "sorry."

He crushed her against his chest. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Mari. Nothing. I'm gonna kill him."

"Adrien," Marinette whispered softly, her first clear word.

Her round, pleading eyes temporarily derailed him from thoughts of murder. His hand reached up to gently stroke her face before his hand slipped back to gently pry hers away from the ear she was clutching. Without her pressure there a bead of blood began to well up. He was going to commit patricide tonight.

Marinette wrapped her hand around Adrien's, which in turn was gently wrapped around the shell of her ear as he took in the damage with a quiet, shaking rage. As she took in his face of anger, Marinette took a few steadying breaths of her own. Her face took on the same look of steely determination that Ladybug wore.

"Adrien, it's not exactly what you think."

"Not what I think! So I didn't just see my father attack my girlfriend, pinning her to a bed?" He sounded incredulous, and pissed, and on the verge of a melt down.

Marinette winced. "No, that was real."

"I'm gonna kill him. I'm going to murder him-"

"Kitty!" Marinette put both her hands on either side of his face to get his attention and Adrien temporarily saw red as he watched another bead of blood well up in the other ear. Then the nickname came crashing through his brain.

"How did you. . ."

She gave a wry smile. "You really shouldn't reuse the same jokes on the same person, especially when you're dating said person."

Shit. Ladybug was going to kill him.

Marinette gave him a shaky smile. "Come on. There are some things I need to tell you, but it might be easier to show you."

He watched her get up and lock the door, then brace it with his desk chair. He finally snapped out of his stupor when she held out her hand to him. He launched himself off the couch and wove his hand through hers. Though he wasn't expecting it when she led him to the bathroom.

"What are you doing?"

She was still shaking and he wanted to scoop her back up and hold her until all her hurts went away, but there was a fierceness in her eyes that made him pause. She wasn't done fighting yet, and he wasn't going to take that from her.

"I need to show you something."

His confusion grew as he let her lead him in and then over to the shower. There she disentangled her hand from his and knelt on the tile floor. His mysticism at her actions promptly turned to horror once more as he watched her shove her hand in her mouth.

"What the hell, Mari?" He shouted, jumping back in his initial disgust before rushing forward to see if she was all right.

"I'm sorry. This is really gross, but I couldn't think of any other way to hide it where he wouldn't find it and I couldn't leave it at home or somewhere else because what if someone else found it or there was an akuma attack?"

"I'm not following," Adrien said, staring down at his girlfriend, kneeling in front of a puddle puke with rising concern.

She reached down and he almost puked himself when she plucked something out of the vomit. "I wanted to tell you, but I also desperately wanted to be wrong and I didn't want to put you through that a second time if I was wrong."

"Still not following."

She held up a small, clear plastic bag and he swallowed his revulsion to lean forward and look at what was inside. A par of small, black studds. The same earrings she'd been wearing earlier today. The same earrings she'd worn as long as he'd known her. But who would wear a decoy pair of the same earrings? And who would be crazy enough to swallow them to keep them hidden?

A bright smile broke out across his face. "My lady!"

She continued to look at him sadly. "Follow the thread of thought, Chaton."

He paused, trying to figure out what she was getting at, then other questions started coming- Who was Ladybug afraid of enough to make a fake pair of earrings and swallow the real ones? Who would want a pair of earrings? Want them so badly that they were willing to attack a teenage girl to get them? Who had Ladybug already accused his father of being and then reluctantly taken away her accusations after his akumatization?

Adrien saw tears well in Marinette's eyes and knew that the conclusion must show on his face. Adrien slumped to the floor in shock. Marinette came over to wrap her arms around him.

"Oh, Kitty, I'm so sorry."

His father, Gabriel Agreste, was Hawkmoth.

Somehow that was worse than his previous assumption when he'd first came in the room.

Later, somewhere else in the Agreste mansion

Gabriel held his prize in his cupped hands. Finally! After so long. After all his plans and struggles and fighting, he finally had his prize! Well, half of it anyway. But no matter, with the earrings of the ladybug in his possession, it wouldn't be long before the ring of the black cat followed.

A ding from his phone drew his attention. It was the ringtone he'd set for notifications from the Ladyblog. Perhaps Chat Noir was out on patrol right now! To get both in one night would be a dream!

He eagerly pulled out his phone and promptly dropped it with a curse. There, filling the whole damn screen, was a picture of Ladybug soaring over one of the many rooftops of Paris with the sub-caption- "Looking fierce and ready to take on not just Hawkmoth, but the whole world!"

Which meant, the earrings in his possession were not a Miraculous.

Which meant, he'd just assaulted an innocent teenage girl for no reason.

Who was also dating his son.

Both of whom he now had to explain his actions to.

.

.

.

Shit

* * *

 **When I was little, I used to see a therapist. During one of my visits with her we talked about nightmares and monsters. She told me that I could take something scary and make it silly. For practice, we drew the monster under my bed (a three-legged octopus looking thing with too many teeth) and turned it into a clown-fairy.**

 **Last night I had a nightmare that woke me up and wouldn't leave my head, so I decided to try something I hadn't done in a while and rewrote it to try and take away the scary. I don't think I completely accomplish that, but that's okay, because I got it down to levels I could manage and let go of, and that's what this exercise is all about. Even after I finished though, I still felt a mad impulse that I wasn't done. So here I am, (over)sharing this with all of you in hopes that this method helps someone else as well.**


	2. Question for ya

**Alright, so this was supposed to just be a one-shot but I got a vague idea for how to continue that story. Do you want this as I come up with chapters (there could still be a long wait in between) or wait until it's all done (will definitely be a looooong wait)? I can't even promise that I'll finish it since I'm not 100% sure on the ending. Do you still want this?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, well that was probably more reaction than I've had to any of my other fics. I guess we'll keep moving forward then. Keep in mind that I only have a vague idea how things will end so this one will take a while.**

 **On with the angst!**

 **I do not own anything Miraculous Ladybug.**

* * *

Adrien paced the hotel room and ran his hands through his hair. His gaze darted all over the room, catching the reflection of a mad man in the blank TV and paused for a moment before realizing it was just him and resumed his pacing. When pacing wasn't enough, he finally let his words explode out.

"But why, though? What is he missing in his perfect life that he felt the need to become freakin' Hawkmoth!"

He took a breath and glanced at Marinette sitting quietly on the bed, letting him work it out.

So he continued on. "What could he possibly be missing? Was he not rich enough? Was a fashion empire who equal parts fear and love him not good enough? Is a giant mansion, he all ready can't fill, not good enough? Was his son not perfect enough?"

Two warm, petite hands came to cup his cheeks, making him pause. His eyes were incapable of focusing on Marinette's face, realizing they were blurry from his tears. She didn't say anything, just stepped forward and let her arms lower to hug him.

He enveloped her, pulling her close and wrapping as much of himself around her as he physically was able. She let him, holding him steady and gently leading him to the edge of the bed, where they sat.

"Emilie," Marinette whispered after a while.

Adrien pulled back, puzzled. "What?"

"Your mother, Emilie. I'm pretty sure that's why your father is doing this. He's trying to get her back," Marinette explained, refusing to make eye contact.

Adrien was glad he was sitting down or he might have fallen over. That was an option? He could do that? _They_ could do that? "Then why don't we let him?"

"No." Nasally and as annoying as ever, Plagg's voice reminded him they were not alone.

Adrien turned to see the little black cat floating near him. He looked. . . regretful?

"Why not?" Adrien asked.

"Because," Tikki said, coming over to float next to Plagg. "All magic comes with a cost."

"I'm willing to pay it," Adrien said automatically, feeling Marinette's nails start to bite into his back, where she still held him, at his response.

Tikki shook her head. "It's not a monetary cost."

"I'm still willing to pay it."

"That's not how it works. You don't get to pick."

His brows furrowed. "She's my mother, if I don't get a say in that, who would?"

Tikki brought her paws to her mouth thoughtfully. "You're not understanding. Let me give you an example: A few generations back there was a plague. A terrible awful plague that was killing people by the hundreds of thousands. It was called the Red-Eyed Death, because during the finally stages of it, the blood vessels in your eyes would burst and your eyes turned red. It worked by expanding all your blood vessels to the max, and when they couldn't take the strain anymore, they ruptured. It started with a giddy lightheadedness, almost like being drunk as your brain received an excess of oxygen. Then you got migraines and swollen joints and large bruises blossomed at the smallest touch. Not everyone made it to the final stages; it killed you a lot of ways. Some people for an aneurism, some drowned in lungs full of blood, others still died when their hearts literally exploded in their chest-"

"I get the point." Adrien snapped, one arm wrapped protectively around Marinette, who was now quietly crying from the picture Tikki painted for them. "This disease clearly doesn't exist now, and I don't remember reading about it in any history book, so what happened?"

"Ladybug's Chat Noir got sick. She didn't want to wait anymore for a cure and decided she would save him herself. She took his miraculous and wished the disease out of existence."

"And everyone lived happily ever after now that it was gone. I fail to see what was wrong with her wish," Adrien said.

Tikki shook her head. "No, Adrien, it's not that simple."

"What? What was wrong with it?" he demanded.

Marinette had a different question. "What was the price to balance it out?"

Tikki looked at them sadly. "World War One and Chat Noir's life."

Adrien reeled back like he'd been smacked. "She chose that to replace a plague?!"

Tikki shook her head once more. "You're still not getting it. You don't get to pick the price, and you don't pick who pays it. You can't predetermine the balance. She didn't choose to bring the war, but something of equal devastation had to replace the plague. Balance must be kept; it is the law of magic."

"But bringing back just one person can't possibly bring that much devastation. It's different," Adrien pleaded.

Plagg hissed at him before flying into his face. "Think for a moment. THINK! What would balance out her coming back? Maybe you disappear. Maybe you never have kids."

"I'm willing to pay either of those," Adrien said.

"You stupid, selfless kit! What if you're not the price? What if your mother comes back but she's different – angry and distant. What if it's your father who disappears? Or how about this – what if what happens to you happens to someone else? Do you even know what happened to your mother? Would you wish whatever unknown horror that befell her to fall on someone else?" Plagg yelled, ears splayed back and eyes narrowed.

Adrien felt the blood drain from his face. "No. No I would not."

A thump hit his chest with enough force to push out his breath with an "oomph." He looked down to see Marinette glaring up at him, eyes shining and tears streaking her face.

"What is it with you always jumping in front of everything? Why can't you realize I. Need. You. Too!" She punctuated all of her last four words with another close-fisted thump to his chest.

"Oh. Oh, Mari, I'm so sorry."

Her beating on his chest turned into a death grip as she clung to him, sobbing. This time, it was his turn to comfort her, holding her close and whispering apologies.

An hour later found them still fully clothed, but laying entwined on the bed. Tears and sorrys both dried out as they took comfort in each other. Plagg and Tikki were similarly positioned on a pillow at the head of the bed. Peaceful was not the word to describe such a sorrowful quiet, but Adrien didn't know what word he should use here.

"Do you know what happened to her?" Marinette asked, finally speaking up.

"Happened to who?"

"What happened to your mother."

"She disappeared," he said – he same simple, hollow answer he gave any time the question was asked.

"But what else?" Marinette asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happened to her?"

Adrien closed his eyes and nuzzled the base of her neck. "No one told me."

"I think there's more to this story, and I think your father has at least some of the answers. People don't just disappear, and people don't just happen to come across stolen magical brooches and then come to the conclusion that the answer to their problem is to become a supervillain to steal jewelry from teenagers. I think if we get more information we have a chance to do something."

Adrien pulled back to frown at her. "I thought you said the Miraculous can't be used to wish her back."

She smiled and brought her hand from where it had been draped across his waist to hold his cheek. "Not to make a wish, no. But Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't exactly powerless. We don't know what happened. Maybe there's a way to fix this without wishing. We have to try."

Hope flooded him like a broken dam, and just like that he was crying again. Quietly this time, but Marinette still wiped away a few tears with her thumb. "We got this, Kitty. Together."

"Before you go searching for your mother, you two do still need to take care of one thing," Plagg said, ever the mood killer.

Marinette tilted her head up so she could look at him. "And what is that?"

He folded his arms and frowned at them both. "Hawkmoth."


	4. Chapter 4

**I warned you this one would be kind of hit and miss with posting. Still though, I am sorry It's taken this long. As I mentioned in Miraculous Question, I've got some big stuff coming up and it's been taking up a lot of my time. Hopefully I can tell you about it in the next week or two (I'll try to see if I can get another chapter out in that time).**

 **I do not own anything Miraculous Ladybug.**

* * *

Gabriel paced in front of the door. It was evening now, and he knew his son was in there; they'd used his card to pay for the room. Three days had passed since the incident. He had found them almost as soon as he'd realized they were gone, but had told himself he was waiting for them to calm down. He berated himself for feeling as nervous as he did. The wrongdoing was not on him, he was not at fault. He had simply been following a lead and the unfortunate incident had been a misunderstanding and an accident.

Of course, if the girl had just given him the earrings when he asked in the first place, none of this would have happened. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves and knocked on the door. There was a rustling noise, then the metallic slide of a lock coming out, and finally he was face to face with his son once more.

Adrien's eyes hardened and his mouth opened in a silent snarl. He looked like an angry cat. Gabriel imagined his stance must be defensive, but could only guess since only Adrien's head was poking past the door.

"What are you doing here?" he spat, and in all his years he had never seen his son look at him with such venom. He'd seen disappointment and sadness aplenty, but never such hatred. He hadn't even known his son was capable of being so angry.

"I've come to speak with Ms. Dupain-Cheng, and tell you to come home before you cause a scene," Gabriel said, mentally shaking off his disconcertion at his son's stare.

Adrien glanced back into the hotel room and Gabriel became aware of the sound of running water, which was cut off when Adrien stepped out into the hallway and shut the door quietly behind him. "Marinette's not available right now and even if she was, I'm not sure I would let you see her right now."

Gabriel frowned. "Really Adrien, this is all just a misunderstanding. If you would simply come home and let me explain, you would both understand."

His son snorted, a habit he must have learned from public school, because _he_ certainly never taught him to make such a crude noise. "I think I understand just fine."

"I highly doubt that," Gabriel snapped.

Adrien grit his teeth and opened his mouth to say something, but the soft click of the door opening drew both their attentions. Marinette stepped out, hair still damp from the shower, but at least wearing clothes instead of a bathrobe. Her hair was slicked back behind her shoulders, giving him full view of her red, swollen ears. He felt a small twinge of guilt at that, but quickly shook it off. "Adrien, who are you talking- Oh."

Instead of cowering as he'd expected her to, her gaze hardened and she stepped in front of Adrien as if he was the one that needed protecting. No wonder he'd thought she was Ladybug. There was also something about her blue eyes, so similar to his own wife's, staring at him in judgment that was extremely off putting. It left him momentarily speechless.

Marinette did not have that problem. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Unless the next words out of your mouth are an apology, I suggest you walk away now."

Gabriel pulled a small black box out of his pocket and held it out to her. "I believe these are yours."

Marinette opened the box to reveal her earrings inside. She didn't thank Gabriel for returning them, simply stared at the contents of the box before snapping it closed and shoving it into her pocket.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" Gabriel asked back.

"Why did you take them? My earrings," Marinette elaborated.

While he had been expecting the question, he hadn't been expecting it to come so directly and especially not from mild-mannered Marinette. "They looked like a pair of earrings that I gave my wife when we were first dating. I will admit that since her disappearance I have become rather sensitive and overprotective of anything that reminds me of her."

He watched Adrien carefully to see how he took the information. Normally, any mention of his mother was enough to placate him. He didn't even seem to be listening to Gabriel! His entire attention was focused on Marinette. He was reading her to see how he should react next, regardless of what was being said. Gabriel realized that the only way he was going to reach him now was through Marinette, who was frowning at him with her hands crossed over her chest.

"You thought I stole your wife's earrings?"

"Well, you have a track record of taking things that aren't yours."

Marinette scowled. "I picked up a book that had been left behind. I didn't rip it out of Adrien's hands."

"You didn't even steal it, Lila did. You just rescued it from the trash," Adrien added, speaking up for the first time since Marinette joined the conversation.

Marinette blushed and stared up at him wide-eyed. "You knew?"

Adrien shrugged. "Once we started dating, it wasn't hard to figure out. Ti- Alya mentioned you ranting about it."

Gabriel coughed to bring the attention back to him. "Regardless, based on the knowledge I had, it wasn't an illogical conclusion. I see now that the situation is not what it appeared to be. Since we are now all aware of the misunderstanding, it's high time we put a stop to all of this ridiculousness. Adrien come home. You two are going to cause a scene that will end up in the tabloids if you don't stop this."

Marinette's hands unwound from her chest and one reached back to find his son's. "I don't think we're the ones with something to lose if this ends up in the tabloids."

If they went public with this misunderstanding, it could ruin him. Catching Ladybug and Chat Noir would be so much harder on the run. Though the public chaos would likely create many fine akumas. Speaking of- how the hell was this girl so in control of herself? After what had happened to her, he'd been hoping to at least akuma-fy her to cover collateral damage, but she hadn't pinged on his emotion radar even once! How?!

He cleared his throat. "I'm sure we can all come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. I remember that you have an interest in fashion. I can arrange for you to-"

"Are you trying to bribe me?"

Gabriel stepped back like she'd slapped him. Her eyes burned into his and the hand that wasn't grasping his son's was balled into a fist. "All I'm saying is that I'm sure there's something you want enough to make this all go away. Everyone leaves happy."

Her lip pulled back in a silent snarl much like the one Adrien had just given him, her blue eyes, so very like his wife's, were full of disdain. "That's not how this works. You don't get to just throw your money and influence at me and I stay silent. I refuse to let you bully me. You may have started this fight, but I'm going to be the one to end it. I suggest you leave right now before I make one of those scenes you're so desperately trying to avoid. _If_ we want to talk to you, we will let you know- if and when we're ready. Good day, Mr. Agreste!"

No one had been so dismissive to him in years! His son gave no verbal acknowledgement to him as he turned to get the door. Gabriel was struck with the realization that this girl really could bring an end to all of his hard work. Especially if she went to the media with her story. He could lose Adrien forever. If she chose to press charges, she could set back his plans by years!

Panic pushed him to open his mouth one last time. "If you tell anyone, it'll be my word against two teenagers."

Adrien froze at the open door and this time he really did snarl. "Are you threatening us?"

Marinette turned to face him one last time and gave him a calculated gaze. Gabriel felt like she was reading him and all the possible outcomes of the situation. She raised her hand to calm Adrien before she spoke. Her words were deliberate and she looked at him with the same disgust Adrien had. "Mr. Agreste, the only time I would consider going public with what happened was if the stress Adrien was going through became greater than the media circus he would go through if I talked. I suggest that you leave us alone, Mr. Agreste."

With that she took the final step into the hotel room, Adrien right behind her as he let the door slam shut. Gabriel stood alone in the hallway, taking deep, steadying breaths. This was not how this encounter was supposed to go. This defeat was the bitterest pill to swallow. Unlike his encounters with Ladybug and Chat Noir, he couldn't just get up and try again. He couldn't even fight, Marinette's threat had made that very clear. All he could do was wait and hope his son came back. He let out a low growl and threw a fist at the wall before he forced himself to calm down and head out, chalking this up as one more thing he would just add to his fix-it list once he got Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses.

* * *

 **I'm thinking of using a non-canon Queen Bee later on in the story? Any objections? Or should I go for a Chloe Redemtion Arch? I'm also trying to think how much I want to keep canon in general, because I started writing this before we knew who Mayura was. If anyone has feedback, I'll take it into consideration since I'm still figuring this one out. I've got a vaugue idea, but it could definitely use more.**

 **Hope you're all well!**


	5. Chapter 5

**This one is going to be rather short, but don't worry, another chapter should be up in a few days and it will be longer. I have a little life update at the end, but I won't go into it here.**

 **Quick message for the guest commenter:**

 **Cole Younger- I'm sorry, when I chose to continue the story, I thought I had switched it to be marked as unfinished. It must not have saved properly. I apologize.**

 **I do not own anything Miraculous Ladybug.**

* * *

"Well that went well," Plagg said dryly.

Adrien said nothing, but began pacing again.

Marinette let out a sigh, knowing he just needed to work off steam, and let him be. Instead she turned to her own kwami hovering just outside the steaming bathroom. "Thanks for letting me know Gabriel had arrived."

Tikki flew forward to nuzzle her chosen on the cheek. "No problem, Marinette. I was worried what would happen if he and Adrien were left alone."

"Me too," Marinette agreed as her hand came up to cup the little creature in a hug.

"Remember that plan we had to try to find out what to Adrien's mom? We just told the one guy with answers to never talk to us again," Plagg said.

"No, we told him to wait until we were ready to come to him," Marinette countered. "Which honestly is for the best because we would have been unable to keep it together if we tried to get answers right now." She said 'we', but everyone knew she meant 'Adrien'.

Plagg grunted before flying over to land himself in Adrien's hair. Adrien paused in his pacing to scratch the tiny creature behind the ears. "Thanks for caring, buddy."

He sniffed with disdain, leaning into the scratch. "If you decide to go on the run, it will greatly reduce my cheese resources. This is entirely about me."

"Uh-huh," Tikki and Marinette said with amusement.

"Once we're more emotionally ready, we'll face him," Marinette said, her face pulling into a frown as she went into planning mode.

"Not we—me," Adrien said quietly.

Marinette went still. "Excuse me?"

"If you come with me, he'll never come off the defensive. I doubt we'll get him to give any answer other than what he's given the press. He wants me back at his side. I could use that to get him to open up more and lower his guard. I'll find out where he keeps his miraculous and together we can figure out a plan for how to get it, but I think it will have to be me who ultimately takes it from him."

Marinette stared long and hard into his eyes. Adrien and Chat Noir always had the same objective—protect her at all costs—so she knew, in turn, it was her job to protect him right back. Yes, he was trying to prevent her from getting hurt again and keep her out of the fight. He was giving a logical plan, but still… "Are you sure you can handle that, Adrien? I mean emotionally. I don't doubt your sincerity, but you're placing a heavy burden on yourself, and I'm worried for you."

He smiled and walked over to pull her into a hug. "I've got you, Bugaboo. I can do anything."

Marinette leaned into the hug, wrapping her arms tight around him. She leaned in, listening to the steady beat of his heart. She would protect this. "Do you know what you're going to do to get him to open up?"

"Ask about his mother," Plagg said, answering first.

Adrien looked uncomfortable.

Plagg swatted at him with a tiny paw. "It's not being selfish to want to know, kit, and it is a good plan. Get him to tell the truth about what happened to her, and you'll probably be able to figure out how to take him down."

"It would probably be better to take a different approach," Adrien muttered.

"No," Marinette said, taking his cheek and leading him to look her into the eyes again. "I think that would be the best way to go about it. You genuinely want to know that, and the less lying you have to do, the easier it will be. My gut says that's the best answer."

"Well, if your Ladybug senses are tingling, then who am I to say no," Adrien said, his voice teasing.

Marinette wrinkled her nose. "You absolute nerd."

He leaned in close, his face inches from hers. " _Your_ nerd."

"My nerd," she confirmed, standing on her tiptoes to close the distance between them and give him a kiss. He returned it with enthusiasm. Her last thought before she let herself get wrapped up in the moment was, _They would be okay._

They had each other.

* * *

 **Like I said, short, but I promise more is coming soon.**

 **As for my life update- I'm not sure how much crossover there is between this story and my Miraculous Question story, so I figured I would post it here as well. I recently started a Kickstarter to try and raise the money for a children's picture book I wrote about a red panda raised by cats (It's a retelling of The Ugly Duckling).**

 **I'm rather proud of it. I'd appreciate it is some of you could share the link to it on your social media to help me get the word out about it. If you're interested helping out you can go to Kickstarter and look up Endangered Fairytails: The Ugly Kitten. My author name is Lee Wilder and that will also get you there.**

 **If you don't that's okay. I still love and appreciate you all for taking the time to read my fanfiction. You guys are the best!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Helloooo! Here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy.**

 **I guess I have a little life update for you at the end as well. In the meantime, enjoy the story!**

 **I do not own anything Miraculous Ladybug.**

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"Mr. Agreste, Adrien is here to see you," Nathalie's vice said over his desk intercom.

Gabriel's head shot up from the nap he'd been taking. What?

"Mr. Agreste, are you there?"

He scrambled to hit the button. "I'm here. Send him in."

After almost two weeks of the silent treatment, his son was finally ready to talk. About damn time.

He had waffled daily on cutting off the credit card they were using, but the threat Adrien's girlfriend had given kept him from following through. She would only go to the police if he stressed out Adrien. Their mutual desire to protect Adrien could be the one thing that got him past this little debacle. Especially now that he could finally talk to his son and get him to see reason.

He straightened his vest and swept any errant hairs back into place. It would not do for his son to think he'd been losing sleep. He'd just gotten himself situated when the doors swung open to reveal Adrien, sans Marinette. That part surprised him. From what he'd been told by the people he had following his son, the two had been nigh inseparable. He had expected them to come in together.

"Father," Adrien said, his posture perfect and voice just as stiff.

"Adrien," Gabriel said, matching him. "Have a seat."

Adrien did so, choosing the chair farther from the desk, Gabriel noted.

"Are you finally coming back home?"

Adrien's jaw twitched. "Undecided."

"Then for what purpose did you come here today?"

Adrien leaned forward to prop his elbows on his knees and clenched his hands together. "I'm trying to understand. You're the only family I have left. I can't just walk away from that. I've spent my whole life striving for your approval and trying to be the best at whatever you wanted me to be. I have listened to you, looked up to you, and trusted you. You went and broke all of that with what you did to Marinette."

The swelling of pride he'd felt at his son's words popped with the last sentence. "And as I've been trying to explain, it's not what you think. If you would just listen to me then we could make this all go away."

"Did you or did you not, forcibly pin my girlfriend to my bed?"

"That's a rather extreme way of putting it—"

"Father," Adrien said, cutting him off. "I will leave, and there is no guarantee I will ever come back if I walk out those doors right now."

Gabriel played with the idea of turning on the security system and locking Adrien in the house but decided to make that a last resort effort. He couldn't release Akumas if the house was on lockdown. "Very well. Yes, I technically did do that."

"And you're reasoning for this is that you thought she stole a pair of earrings that belonged to Mom. A pair of earrings I have never seen before despite having stared at every existing picture of Mom for more hours than I can count since she disappeared."

Of course his son would notice that. He'd raised him to be clever after all. "They were a pair of earrings from back when we first started dating. Before she became a model. There aren't as many pictures of her from back then."

"Why didn't you just explain that to Marinette? She's not heartless; she would have understood. She probably would have given you the earrings then even if they weren't Moms."

Gabriel sighed. This was getting unnecessarily complicated. He couldn't very well say, _"Because I thought she was Ladybug and didn't think she'd give them up without a fight."_ Instead he said, "What happened to your mother was traumatic for me and is not something I care to discuss with strangers. Whatever Marinette may be to you, to me, she is still an outsider."

Adrien was quiet, head bowed as he fiddled with a ring on his finger. Such fidgeting was unbecoming of an Agreste, but Gabriel kept quiet as he let his son think. When he looked back up, tears formed in Adrien's eyes. Such open, unashamed heartbreak. "What happened to Mom?"

"She disappeared," Gabriel said, the response automatic.

Adrien shook his head. "I'm not twelve anymore. That's not good enough. I remember. I remember how sick she was. She could barely walk towards the end. There is no way she went out those front doors without help, and there is no way that could have happened without you knowing. You never left her side, always there with a glass of water for her cough or an arm to hold her steady. You carried her up the stairs to bed that night because it was too much for her." Adrien clenched his hands together tight enough to turn white and shake. "Whatever your answer, I won't go to the police. I won't tell anyone. I don't blame you; every time the doctors came back saying they couldn't find out what was wrong, I saw you both break just a little more. I'd even believe it if you say she asked for it. I just want my own peace of mind for what happened to my mother."

Gabriel went very still. Surely, his son was not implying what he thought he was. Adrien didn't actually think him capable of such a thing. Somehow his son had come to an even worse conclusion than what had actually happened! "You're not seriously saying I would..." He couldn't even bring himself to finish the thought.

"Given the evidence, what am I supposed to think?"

Gabriel slammed his hands on the desk. "I would never kill your mother!"

Adrien rose to stand over his father, his voice rising to match. "I want to believe you, but at one point I also believed you incapable of attacking a teenage girl!"

Gabriel, never one to be belittled, rose as well, disappointed to note that at some point, his son had surpassed him in height. "You don't know what you're talking about," he seethed.

"Then prove it!" Adrien snarled back.

His son looked absolutely feral at that moment. Shoulders raised, lip curled back in a snarl, and a look in his eye that said he was a hair trigger away from committing unspeakable violence. Gabriel had spent years as Hawkmoth reading others' emotions and understanding people. He'd done it long enough that those abilities carried over out of the suit to some degree. Adrien really would attack him, and Gabriel wasn't as sure he would win that fight. He felt genuine fear at the rage pouring off his son. Pity that the only way he was getting out of here safely was by calming him down. The Akuma potential from such anger was dizzying.

Speaking of calming him down, there was only one thing he could think of at the moment. Something both of them cherished above all else. More accurately, someone.

"Very well. Follow me."

Adrien blinked, caught off guard as his father turned around and pushed secret buttons on the portrait of his mother—specifically the ones to trigger the chute that would take them down to the second basement, not the one that would take them up to the butterfly attic. No need to reveal all his secrets today.

As Adrien stepped into the small lift tentatively, the shock was clear to see, but Gabriel could also sense suspicion. Gabriel contemplated the possible benefits to telling his son. To have another person on his side could be very useful. This could open new opportunities to get closer to Ladybug and Chat Noir.

They arrived down in the garden/cathedral that Gabriel had built all those years ago when things first started going wrong. Adrien gasped beside him. It was breathtaking, the church-style architecture, the giant butterfly emblem, the neo-apocalyptic vibes he had carefully cultivated within the garden he grew. But he knew none of that was the reason for his son's reaction. No, it was the item standing at the center of it all.

He watched Adrien approach the glass container and stare inside, absolutely entranced by the contents. Emilie Agreste lay within, as peaceful and pristine as she had been when he'd placed her in there all those years ago. His son looked up at him, tears flowing freely now. "What kind of sick joke is this?"

Gabriel blinked. Of all the reactions for his son to have, this wasn't it. "She's alive if you're wondering."

Adrien shook his head. "It's been five years since she disappeared. This... body hasn't aged a bit, and it's not hooked up to anything to keep her alive."

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. This would take more explaining than he thought. "You would think after all these years of Ladybug and Chat Noir, people would be more open to the idea of magic. This is precisely why I hid her away in the first place."

Adrien froze. "What?"

"Magic existed before those two showed up, and it will continue to exist long after. Your mother was never sick—she was cursed. When the curse entered its final stages, I brought her down here to keep her safe until I could find a cure. Back then, no one would have understood. They would have called me crazy for proclaiming her prognosis."

"Everyone has known magic exists for years now. Why didn't you come forward and ask for help then?" Adrien asked, his eyes never leaving his mother's face.

Gabriel scoffed. "And let every crackpot or charlatan who says they have the answer anywhere near her? I think not."

"Do _you_ even know what happened to her?" Adrien asked.

"She was researching a kind of magic that we'd never heard of before and got her hands on a rare object. She used it several times before we noticed it was broken. By then it was too late." Gabriel felt his throat tighten as he told his son the truth he'd never shared before, but even as he held back tears, his chest lightened as he shared his burden.

Adrien continued crying as he stared at his mother, one shaking hand coming to rest on the glass. "I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

Yes! He understood! Gabriel was tempted to spill everything to him right then but felt like it wasn't time yet. This was enough for him today. One had to ease their children into revealing themselves to be a publicly defamed and villainized being. Gabriel personally saw himself as a romantic and devoted husband. The world could burn for all he cared—as long as he had his family.

They went back up the elevator in silence, and Gabriel allowed his son to part ways at the front door. Adrien needed time to think, but now that he knew the truth, he would definitely be back. Gabriel was sure of it.

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 **Soooo, life update- I'm still working on my Kickstarter. It's not going quite as well as I'd hoped it would. I'm over 50% through(with only 13 days left), but just under 50% funded. Not gonna lie, I've been a little upset at how it looks like I won't reach my goal. Being a published author has been a dream of mine for over 10 years. If any of you could donate, or even just share the page, I would greatly appreciate that. Backers can get an early release digital copy or a signed physical copy. I'm even offering an option where I make and bind the book myself or come visit a school of your choice.**

 **It's Endangered Fairytails: The Ugly Kitten. My author name is Lee Wilder.**

 **I hope your all having a good day. Thanks so much for reading!**


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